Attn Saturn hackers/players

[rimsky82]

MESS now emulates saturn games pretty well, even debugging is full speed.

In addition, I added MESS to the supported saturn export files, so you can add the cheats from our website right into the emu for your cheating enjoyment.

Here's a picture of Sonic 3D running, with cheats on from our website. (999 rings and 9 lives are visible on screen.)

[Helder]

Hook us up! I never used anything other than the UI version, so could you post your compiled version and some basic instructions so I can load an ISO in it (I know its command line). Thanks.

[rimsky82]

Well, getting into setting up mess can get detailed. If you already have mame, you can throw the mess64.exe in the same directory. The bios files are the "roms", and the games are categorized by software lists and kept in separate folders.

I'll give you a link to a minimalist setup for running saturn games. If you want to get into setting up for other systems with the lists and all, let me know.

Just extract this archive into a folder and dbl click playsaturn.bat. The debugger will pop up, just hit F5 to start the system. In the play window, you can press the tab button for the menu, just like mame. From the file manager you should be able to select a cue file for an image. There's also a cart device, though I haven't messed with it. Maybe you can add a dump of a cart or something in there. like an expansion or a gameshark, I don't know. There are other options like input assigning and bios selection.

That should get you started playing saturn. To use the debugger, there is a list of commands for searching for cheats and such. There isn't a good tutorial with the updated debugger, unless there's one at Pugsy's site. (Same debugger as mame). Or you can search through the source file here http://mamedev.org/source/src/emu/debug/debughlp.c.html .

Hopefully this is enough to send you on your way, helder. Everyone else, if you can't figure most of this out on your own, please don't turn this thread into a mess help thread. I don't mind questions, but I'm not mamedev. Google is your friend, and so is mamedev.org.

I compiled this mess64.exe this afternoon, so it's pretty fresh. Hopefully helder, you have a x64 processor.
http://gamehacking.org/downloads/mess_saturn.rar

I've tried a few games, and I've come across one so far that doesn't load. (nights)

[Helder]

I have a x64 processor but I'm currently on a x86 OS,anyway to upload just the mess.exe for x86? I will also use the x64 version you posted once I get a chance to hop on my PC. How do I set up the ISO's to show in the emulator? is there a specific folder or do I have to edit the mess.ini?

Edit: I looked around and found out how to load the ISO in the command line but if you have a better method I'm all ears, I also downloaded a 32bit Mess and it loaded the saturn iso no problem but slow as hell on my laptop but I can deal with it. Your batch file always gives me an error with this in it "-hlsl_enable" , what does this option do? once I delete it the emulator works.

[rimsky82]

HLSL is a Direct3D thing. It's not important.

The tab menu has a "File Manager" that lets you browse for a cue/bin/iso.

Won't a x64 program work with a x64 processor, even on a x86 OS?

[Helder]

No it's nothing to do with the processor but the program itself as I'm sure you know x64 programs are not compatible with a x86 OS, well Windows is like this anyways. I tried using the File Manager but it shows nothing which is why I asked if I needed to edit the ini or is there a specific folder I need it to be in to show in that File Manager? Also remember that I'm using a 32bit version of MESS from their site, so I don't know if you compiled yours with different parameters than theirs.

[rimsky82]

Not different parameters no, but a lot of the saturn work has been in the last few days and it's still being worked on. If you get a build a few days old, it may not work as well. I don't have my rig setup to compile the x86, but I'll try.

[Helder]

Rimsky, Abystus and I are both having the emulator you posted crash whenever we set a watchpoint in the debugger but I have no issue with it on the 32bit version I got off the MESS site.

[rimsky82]

hmm, good to know, thanks